Aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as those produced from petroleum distillates and biomass, are frequently used in aromatization processes, to catalytically convert these aliphatic hydrocarbons to aromatic hydrocarbons, which are commercially valuable chemical products.
To improve the conversion of aliphatic hydrocarbons to aromatic hydrocarbons, additional heat must typically be supplied, for example through the use of a recycled hydrogen diluent stream. However, hydrogen has a very low heat capacity, and the use of hydrogen recycle inhibits progress of the forward reaction of aliphatic hydrocarbons to aromatic hydrocarbons. Therefore, there remain significant challenges to producing aromatic hydrocarbons.